A Warwickshire councillor has complained to government ministers about the advice from Warwickshire?s chief constable that people should think about making citizen?s arrests.

Rugby borough council-lor Mark Pawsey (Cons, Dunchurch and Knightlow) has written to home secretary David Blunkett asking him to clarify the comments made by Chief Constable John Burbeck at a Stretton-on-Dunsmore parish council meeting.

Cllr Pawsey has attacked the notion, saying people living in rural parts of the county have as much right to ?decent? policing as town-dwellers.

Mr Burbeck caused outrage among villagers after he suggested they should consider making citizen?s arrests to help out police if they saw crimes being committed.

Many residents said they would be too frightened to tackle burglars without police back-up.

Now Cllr Pawsey has asked Mr Blunkett to explain the official line.

He said: ?The chief con-stable did not make it clear whether he was referring to a new national policy or a policy just for Warwickshire so I have asked the Home Secretary which it is.

?In this way we will know whether our protests should be made to government or more locally.

?Those living in the rural area have the right to the same decent standards of policing as elsewhere and pay for it through their council tax.

?The notion that people should be encouraged to take matters into their own hands, and put themselves at risk, represents an abdication of responsibility by the police as well as sending out completely the wrong message to those intent on causing harm in our community.?